Egyptian Officials Laud Safety of Vietnamese Basa

VIET NAM - Tested samples have proved that Vietnamese basa catfish is 100 per cent safe, said the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Amin Abaza on April 1.

A number of Egyptian news websites, including those of the Al Ahram (Pyramid) newspaper and the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, also quoted other Egyptian officials as confirming that Vietnamese basa fish is safe for the country’s consumer to eat.

Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population Hatim Al Zabali said that 87 out of 95 samples taken from 95 consignments of Vietnamese basa fish met health and safety standards and only eight were found to be infected with harmful bacteria.

The samples had been collected by his ministry’s research centre over the past three months.

Dr Youssef Mamdouh, head of the Egyptian Veterinary Quarantine Agency, said that since January, Egypt has imported 265 consignments of basa fish - a total of 29,000 tonnes - but only nine have been returned for failing to meet quality standards. Dr Mamdouh considered this normal as it can occur to any other frozen products such as beef and chicken.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Embassy in Vietnam on March 31 officially resumed granting customs clearance to Vietnamese seafood exports after a five-day suspension.

Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam Alla Elleissy confirmed this during his meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade the same day.